Sheet-feeding apparatus



Aug. 29, 1939. E. w. GOODWIN SHEETFEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 21, 1938 INVENTOR. EDWIN W.GOODW|N ATTORN Patented Aug. 29, 1939 SHEET-FEEDING APPARATUS Edwin W. Goodwin, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor to Dexter Folder Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 21, 1938, Serial No. 209,215

GClaims.

This invention relates to sheet feeders and more particularly to mechanism employed therewith for side registering sheets with respect to a printing press or other machine to which the sheets are fed.

The present invention more specifically relates to improvements in the side registering mechanism described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 62,706 filed February 6, 1936, and consists in the provision of independent means for adjusting the pressure of the registering devices on the sheets. In the construction shown and described in said co-pending application the pressure of the upper registering or gripping wheel on the sheets is governed by the tension of a spring that operates a plunger in a downward direction to move the registering or gripping wheel into engagement with the sheets. While this construction operates very satisfactorily at normal speeds and under usual operating conditions it has been found that at high speeds the tension of the spring must be considerably increased in order to cause the plunger to follow its operating mechanism and that this increased tension of the plunger operating spring likewise increases the pressure of the plunger carried registering or gripping wheel to an extent such that it sometimes marks the sheets during the side registering operation. This marking of sheets is objectionable and therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide improved side registering mechanism which, through the provision of independent means for varying the pressure of the side registering devices on the sheets, may be operated at high speeds without marking of the sheets by said devices.

This and other objects of the present invention will appear as the following description thereof proceeds and in order to more clearly understand said invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one em= bodiment of said invention.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a side registering mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the side registering mechanism illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, with parts omitted, of the side registering mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and showing the mounting of the upper registering or gripping wheel and the means for independently adjusting the pressure of said wheel; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of

the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 looking from the left thereof.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like refer ence characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the side registering mechanism 5 therein shown includes, as in the mechanism of my aforesaid co-pendlng application, a housing comprised by a cored block 5 slidably mounted on a continuously driven shaft 6, and side plates 1, 8 bolted or otherwise suitably secured to said block 1 and slidably mounted on stay shafts 9 and ill. Fixed on and slidable along the shaft 6 is a spiral gear II that is enclosed in the housing and whiclnmeshes with a similar gear l2 housed in the cored block 5 and fixed on. a stub shaft i3. This stub shaft I3 is journalled in suitable bearings in the block 5 and has fixed thereon a side registering wheel 14 which forms the lower driven part of the side registering mechanism. The'block 5 and the side plates 1, 8 have bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto a. plate l5 provided with a suitable opening through which the upper part of the wheel l4 extends, and a suitable recess for the upper part of the spiral gear I 2.

Bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the side plate I is a bracket 65 which has slidably mounted therein a plunger 01 adapted to raise and lower an upper registering or gripping wheel I8 which cooperates with the lower registering wheel M to side register the sheets. In accordance with the present invention the upper registering or gripping wheel I8 is mounted in a manner to provide means for independently adjusting the pressure of said wheel on the sheets, as desired, in accordance with the size, weight, and kind of sheet material acted upon. This mounting of the upper wheel l8 and adjusting means therefor is preferably constructed as follows.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, the upper wheel I8 is journalled on a stud l9 secured in one end of a lever 20 that is pivoted as at 2| in the bifurcated end 22 of an arm 23. This arm 23 is secured to the plunger H at the upper end thereof by screws 24 which extend through a cover plate 25 and are threaded into the sides of said plunger and arm, respectively. The screws 24 also serve to prevent turning movement of the plunger H in the bracket IS. The upper wheel l8 projects downwardly through a suitable opening in a sheet guiding plate 25 for cooperation with the lower driven registering wheel M.

This plate 26 is secured to the bifurcated end 22 of arm 23 at one side thereof, and is capable of being raised and lowered in accordance with the thickness of the sheets, by bolts 27 which through slots (not shown) formed in ears 28 secured to or formed integrally with said plate. Setting of the lower part or wheel 88 relative to the bottom surface of plate 26 so that said wheel engages the sheets before the plunger H has completed its downward stroke, is eflected by an adjusting screw 29 which is threaded into the cover plate 25 and engages a lug 30 formed on the opposite end of the lever 24). Screw 29 is provided with .a suitable adjusting head 3i and aloclr nut 32. The screw 29 also acts as a. stop for the lever 20 to prevent the upper wheel l8 from dropping through the opening in the guide plate 26 and dragging on the registered sheet when said wheel is initially lifted. The lug 38 on lever 20 extends beneath the cover plate 25 and into a suitable groove 33 formed in the upper end of the plunger ll.

Cooperating with the lug 3b of lever Ed is one end of a spring 3t carried in a suitable pocket 35 formed in, and extending along, the plunger H. The opposite end of spring it engages a head 36 which is formed on one end of a rod 3? and extends into the pocket 35 beneath said spring. Rod 31 is guided in a suitable recess 38 formed in, and extending along, the plunger ii and opening into the pocket 35. The upper end of rod 3? extends through a suitable opening formed in the cover plate 25 and is threaded to receive adjusting and lock nuts 39, 40, respectively. It will thus appear that. turning of the adjusting nut 39 in, opposite directions increases or decreases the tension of the spring 3 which, in turn, increases or decreases the pressure of the upper wheel 68 on the sheets when saidwheel is moved into engagement therewith. Through these adjustments, and through relative and yielding movement between plunger H and wheel It when the latter engages the sheets, marking of the sheets by the wheel is eliminated.

The plunger H and arm 23 fixed thereon are guided for reciprocating movement between flat extensions M formed on the upper end of the bracket i6, and turning movement of said plunger and arm such as would displace the upper wheel l8 from a position immediately above the lower wheel M is prevented by gibs 62. These gibs 432 bear against opposite flat sides of the arm 23 and are held in position thereagainst by screws 33 threaded in the extensions iii. A side registering block 53' is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the arm 23 at the bottom thereof against which the sheets are drawn and side registered by the cooperation of the upper and lower wheels iii and i8, respectively.

Upward movement of the plunger ii and upper wheel i8 is imparted thereto by a bar Mi which a rocked in any suitable manner from the feeder. This bar 44 engages a roller d5 journalled on a pin 46 one end of which is secured on the lower end of the plunger ii. The opposite end of pin 46 extends through a suitable opening in the lower end of a spring pressed rod 41 that is retained against displacement from the pin by a cotter pin 48 or any suitable means for this purpose. This spring pressed rod imparts downward movement to plunger l1 and wheel i8 and the spring for rod 41 is indicated at 49 and extends therealong between a collar 50 secured on said rod and a tubular adjusting screw 5| in which the upper end of the rod extends.

This screw 5| is threaded in a suitable opening of an extension 52 formed on the upper end of bracket |6.and is utilized to adjust the tension of the spring 49 in accordance with the speed at which the side registering mechanism is operated to always maintain engagement of the roller it with the bar M. Screw Si is provided with a suitable adjusting head 53 and a lock nut 54. It will thus appear that the bar 44!, together with the spring pressed rod ll will reciprocate the plunger ll so that the upper wheel i8 is moved vertically toward and away from the lower driven registering wheel is, and that the tension of the spring 49 may be varied as desired without affecting the pressure of the upper wheel it on the sheets.

Adjustment of the side registering mechanism in accordance with variations in width of the sheets is effected through the medium of a clamping and adjusting handle 55 which is threaded into a clamp 56 mounted on the stay shaft 9. The clamp 56 is connected with the side registering mechanism by a threaded pin 57 which extends through said clamp and is secured to a stud 53 carried by one of the flat extensions M of the bracket it. The threaded end of pin 57 is provided on opposite sides of the clamp with adjusting and locking nuts 59 for effecting a fine or micrometer adjustment of the side registering mechanism after an initial adjustment thereof.

If, for any reason, it is desired to hold the upper wheel iii in its raised position, this is accomplished by a latch 60 pivoted on a stud 8i threaded into one of the extensions M of the bracket to and adapted to be engaged and disengaged from the adjusting screw b9 beneath the head 3 I While one embodiment of the present invention is herein illustrated and described with more or less particularity, it is to be expressly understood that said invention is not limited to such embodi ment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a side registering mechanism, a plunger, means for vertically reciprocating the plunger, and a sheet engaging member mounted on the plunger to yield vertically relative thereto each time said member is moved into engagement with a sheet to be side registered, whereby undue pressure of the member on the sheet is eliminated.

2. In a side registering mechanism, a plunger, means for vertically reciprocating the plunger, a sheet engaging member yieldably mounted on the plunger, and means for adjusting the yielding action of the member to vary its pressure on the sheets to be side registered.

3. In a side registering mechanism, a lower driven member, a vertically reciprocated plunger, an upper sheet engaging member pivotally connected with the plunger, and means on the plunger for varying the pressure of the upper member on the sheets to be side registered.

4. In a side registering mechanism, a vertically reciprocated plunger, a sheet engaging wheel pivotally connected with the plunger, and means on the plunger for adjusting the sheet engaging wheel, said last named means also acting as a stop to prevent the wheel from dragging on the registered sheet when the wheel is initially lifted therefrom with said plunger.

5. In a side registering mechanism, a housing, a plunger slidably mounted in the housing, a sheet engaging member yieldably mounted on the plunger, a reciprocating bar for vertically moving the plunger in one direction to raise the sheet engaging member, spring means in the housing for vertically moving the plunger in the opposite direction to lower the sheet engaging member, means on the housing for adjusting the tension of the spring means to always maintain engagement of the plunger with the reciprocating bar, and means on the plunger for varying the pressure of the sheet engaging member on the sheets to be side registered.

6. In a side registering mechanism, a housing, a plunger vertically reciprocated on the housing, an

arm on the plunger, a lever pivotally connected with the arm, a sheet engaging wheel rotatably mounted on the lever. a spring interposed between the plunger and the lever, and means on the plunger for adjusting the tension of the spring to vary the pressure of the sheet'engaging wheel on 5 the sheets to be side registered.

W. GOODW'IN. 

